And Rain Will Make The Flowers Grow
by wren3
Summary: A vignette about the Sith wars, about darkness and light, about endings and new beginnings, and about forgiveness


Ok, this is a bit of a departure for me I think..in that I've never really written in this time period, but I hope you guys like. The song is "A Little Fall of Rain" from "Les Misérables" (I am a hopeless and devoted Mizzie, I'm afraid :p) and funny story, this song actually inspired me initially to think of another SW scene entirely. I intended to do Anakin and Padmé together at her death.. But then the songfic turned into..well, this..

Hope you enjoy! 

And Rain Will Make the Flowers Grow 

Jedi Knight Rilla Osiris crawled on her hands and knees, her breath rasping, every movement agony. The battle was still raging around her, but she knew her strength was spent, that there was little time left to her. The deep wound in her side from a lightsabre blade, and the severe beating she'd taken as one of the enemy had decided to use her rather violently for his personal telekinesis exercise had determined that.

_But at least_, she thought grimly,_ I got to take a few of them with me. _

And, she noted with deep satisfaction, this day would not be in vain. _The Massassi are already responding to our calls to rise up against their cruel slave masters, and as for us, following Master Ulic Quel-Droma we number in the thousands, and more are coming. The Order will be safe, and united, now. Finally, no more division, no more war.. _

Her only regret, as she dragged herself across the clearing in front of the Great Temple was that she would not see her brother, or know his fate. She stopped, and the tears came as she considered her older sibling. In a family of eight, they were the only ones who'd been identified as Jedi and taken into training as babies. And as such, they'd been inseparable. It still stunned her, how quickly everything went wrong. How quickly the brother she looked to and loved had become one of the Sith Exar Kun's followers. Of course, it hadn't been as sudden as that. He had always been reckless, restless, troubled. She should have seen.. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a violent coughing fit. It subsided finally, and she drew her hand across her mouth. It was an odd feeling to see her hand come away bright red. A detached feeling. 

She continued determinedly forward, seeking some sort of shelter, any shelter that could provide peace in her last moments. 

Then, suddenly, a foot came down viciously on her hand, and a dark figure loomed over her. 

"You're not going anywhere, Jedi."

He grabbed her and forced her to stand.

Just then, a she became aware of a familiar presence. A voice she'd known anywhere.

"Get away from her!" 

A lightsabre blade hummed through the air, and her captor's grip loosened. His body made a dull thud on the ground. She sank to her knees again. Relief flooded her being, for the young man looking at her, grey eyes so like her own, was truly Elian. Her Elian. She felt herself lifted into his strong arms. She tried to shunt away the pain of being jostled. It took all of her not to cry out, even though he was gentle.

He didn't have to take her far, soon, they had reached the protection of the forest.

"You're hurt. I'll get you help. I'll.. You'll be fine Just hold on." 

"It's.. too late." Breathing was becoming more difficult. She could his dawning comprehension, as he took in the extent of her injuries.

"Oh, Elian, I'm not.. afraid to make ..this journey. Especially not ..now that you've come back.. to me."

_Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius  
I don't feel any pain  
A little fall of rain  
Can hardly hurt me now  
You're here, that's all I need to know  
And you will keep me safe  
And you will keep me close  
And rain will make the flowers grow._

He sat down against the strong support of the trunk, and cradled her. He'd been shocked to feel 

her presence here, her wounds. How brilliantly her spirit shone.

Now, Elian could only see the gaping black hole of his betrayal, a yawning chasm of guilt. His part in causing suffering to the one person who was his everything. He could not lose her. 

"Don't talk like that. You're strong, always have been. You can fight."  


_But you will live, Ponine - dear God above,  
If I could heal your wounds with words of love_.  


She shook her head.

"I've done with that, now. Sit down, let us be together while we can."

He obeyed and she rested her head on his lap. 

"I'm so glad I'm with you. I wouldn't..want anyone.. else. You know.. Where I'm going, it can't be worse than this life." 

She felt secure, warmer, near to him. 

Just hold me now, and let it be. Shelter me, comfort me  
His tears were flowing freely now, obstructing his vision, soaking her robes, as her blood was now soaking his. He could hear the rattling in her chest. And worse, crueller, how she was slipping away from him.

"I still.. Why, Rilla?" 

"Hello, kind of in the job description."

"But you're a healer. You didn't have to.."

"Of course I did. I had someone to fight for."

She looked at him, her eyes sparkling with her characteristic humour as she picked up on his confusion. 

"That would be you, laserbrain.." 

But the teasing words hit him heavily, final understanding exactly what he'd done to his little sister. Another coughing fit came upon her, again more blood. 

He did the only thing he could. He drew her close. When it subsided, she lay in his arms, eyes closed, not stirring. 

"I won't leave you, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.." he whispered. 

He tried not to think of what he would do when she was gone. Could there be forgiveness for him, for one who'd forsaken every all of his guiding principles, every one of deepest beliefs, every person important to him? 

_You would live a hundred years  
If I could show you how  
I won't desert you now._  


"I know. To both." 

She could tell her voice was very faint, now, filled as it was with perfect trust. She reached up to dry his eyes. Her hand already felt so cold against his skin.

"Listen to me. I need you to remember something. That there's a reason we're here now. I know.. you feel..like there's nowhere left to go.. But, that's what you need..to see. you're wrong, there. Whatever.. mistakes..whatever sins.. you've put them behind you, now. The road ahead will be hard and long, but it is there, all you have to do is decide is to take it."   
Funny, she mused, how the darkness closes in on your vision at the last. Like a curtain, slowly being pulled. So peaceful. 

_The rain can't hurt me now  
This rain will wash away what's past  
And you will keep me safe  
And you will keep me close  
I'll sleep, in your embrace, at last.  
The rain that brings you here is Heaven-blessed.  
The skies begin to clear and I'm at rest  
A breath away from where you are  
I've come home from so far.. _   


She nestled closer to him, sought one last time to reassure him. 

"I won't ever.. Be far.. Be watching over you."

_So don't you fret, M'sieur Marius  
I don't feel any pain  
A little fall of rain  
Can hardly hurt me now_.  


"I know, too." His mind's eye saw before him two hands enjoined And found he could offer back reassurance, to his surprise. He could stand, whole and accepting, and offer his sister comfort on the final steps of one voyage, and the first on a new. 

"And..I'll be with you, as long as .. "

_Hush-a-bye, dear Eponine,  
You won't feel any pain_

_A little fall of rain can hardly hurt you now._

_I'm here.._  
She opened her eyes and smiled. The memory came unbidden, of a heavy rainstorm on Coruscant. Of a little girl no more than five who was soothed from her fear of the thunder and lightening by her big brother. 

"Like you always..were.." she acknowledged. 

_That's all I need to know  
And you will keep me safe  
And you will keep me close _

He clung to her limp body as tightly as he dared.. She was still with him, but he knew she was drawing near the end. Still, he drew courage from knowing it didn't hold fear or shadow for her, but was release. The fighting in the clearing, he noticed, was still intense, but it seemed far off. In the present, he most needed to be right where he was. 

_I will stay with you till you are sleeping_

Suddenly she spoke again, surprisingly clearly. 

"I need.. you to promise me one more thing. Promise."

"I promise. I promise." 

"Don't give in to despair. Whatever happens, there is always hope. Always.."

But she never finished. 

_And rain will make the flowers.._.  
He vowed that he would, though. He did not move until he felt her leave her body, until the tortured breathing, steady over the sounds of the battle not so far away, ceased.

He kissed her waxen forehead before her physical self slowly faded away, and became one with the Force. 

There was a voice-Rilla's and not Rilla's-that whispered to him then

"Your grief can lead you to the light, if you let it. Choose the right path.." 

After a long while, he dried his tears, determined not to fail this time in what his sister-and the Force- had asked of him. He picked up what she left behind. Her robes. Her lightsabre. A necklace, a simple chain with a pendant that was the crest of the Jedi Order. Elian had given it to her, not so long ago, at her Knighting ceremony. Gathering these few items to him, he turned back the way he'd come. To see what he could make of the second chance he had so generously been given.

_And rain will make the flowers grow. _


End file.
